Quote Originally Posted by jackal2 View Post
It doesn't even need to be an either/or situation.

Move the ball out of your own half with as few passes as possible, and clear it in one go if you're under severe pressure in your own penalty area, but feel free to play as much attractive football as you like in the opponent's half.

Our players look almost brainwashed into believing they always have to play their way out of defence, even when the reward to risk ratio is tiny. If that's coming from the coaching team or a misguided club philosophy, then it needs a serious rethink in the summer. Defensively we're a joke.
I think you've touched on something in your last paragraph - who is telling them to do this? That's where the 'clear out' needs to be.

I'm not advocating route one football, but no fancy stuff in our own half. Langstaff needs to be told too, that under NO circumstances does he come more than one stride back into his own half.